• Of Order in Architecture

    This video is an extract from William Shaver’s Masonic Monitor of 1907, which is itself based upon Webb’s ‘Freemason’s Monitor’ of 1816. It gives an overview of the features of the 5 Orders of Architecture with a particular focus on our old friends, the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian.

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  • The Landmarks of Freemasonry

    A new Video! A commentary on and analysis of the 25 “ancient, universal and immutable” landmarks published by Albert Mackey in the American Quarterly Review of Freemasonry in 1858. Although clearly dated, error strewn and contentious to the modern reader, Mackey’s “landmarks” form a fascinating side-road in the histoy of the Craft. The paper “The…

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  • The Masonic and Military Order of the Red Cross of Constantine – A brief history.

    A new Video! The Masonic and Military Order of the Red Cross of Constantine and the Orders of the Holy Sepulchre and St. John the Evangelist – A long title for a short video! A brief introduction to the Order.

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  • The Silver Screen: Masonry in the Movies

    A new Video! The Craft occupies a small, but intriguing niche in the history of cinema. This video explores some of the more notable examples of Freemasonry on the silver screen and will test your filmic knowledge with a particularly challenging quiz at the end!

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  • The Ancient and Accepted Rite

    A new Video! By request, this is an excerpt from the Higher Degrees Handbook by W. Bro. J.S.M Ward giving an introduction to the degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Rite, with a particular focus on the Rose Croix and Grand Elect Knight Kadosh degrees. It is undated, but from the language used appears to…

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  • The Mystery of the Green Dragon Tavern and the Boston Tea Party

    A new Video! For our American brethren, this is a paper by Edward M. Gair which looks at the close Masonic connections with the Boston Tea Party, the event which triggered the American War of Independence. It looks at the crucial role played by the Green Dragon Tavern, lodge building, meeting place and safe house…

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  • Masonic blue

    Masonic blue

    A new Video! This anonymous presentation from July 1934 examines why ‘Blue’ is universally recognised as the Masonic colour and comes up with two contradictory theories to explain it!

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  • Golden Sentences

    Golden Sentences

    A new Video! This is a very early address given by De Witt Clinton in 1793 upon the occasion of his Installation. In it he outlines the fundamental tenets of the Craft, which have remained unchanged to this day. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

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  • Mummies!

    Mummies!

    A new Video! Next year is the 100th anniversary of the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb by Howard Carter. I had intended to save this video for that anniversary, but I’m going though a bit af an Ancient Egyptian phase at the moment, so here it is. This anonymous lecture was first presented in January…

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  • The Legend of Enoch – False but Fascinating

    A new Video! This short presentation is by Brother Harry M Furniss (Prince of Wales Lodge No. 100) from January 1974. In The Legend of Enoch Brother Furniss summarises a story from the apocryphal Book of Enoch, as interpreted by Mackey. While not mentioned in any Masonic works, the legend is a wonderful addition to…

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  • This is not particularly fresh news, but is a good article about the decision currently before the brethren of South Australia and the Northern Territory. https://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/news/freemasons-tower-to-be-adelaide-s-tallest-building# The proposal is currently being considered by the Brethren ahead of a formal vote on the findings and recommendations made for the future of the spiritual site of the…

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  • Masonic Timeline – The Royal Arch

    A new video! Owing to work commitments I don’t have time to edit up a full video this week. Instead here is a video of a Zoom presentation I did for the Qld Royal Arch Study Circle recently. It follows on from the Masonic Timeline of the Craft degrees from a few weeks ago. Apologies…

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  • The Twelve Original Points of Freemasonry

    A new Video! An interesting little undated and anonymous presentation from some time in the 1940’s or 50’s I believe, which details the ‘12 Original Points‘ of antient freemasonry. I’m not too sure of it’s historical veracity, but it will be of particular interest to Royal Arch masons. I wasn’t aware that any such details…

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  • The Great Masonic Conspiracy

    The Great Masonic Conspiracy. This video is a response to the viewers of this channel who believe that Freemasonry is a vast, world encompassing and ominous conspiracy (Hint: it’s not). Watch out though – this video is exactly 13 minutes long. Surely that can’t just be a coincidence?

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  • Curious Masonic Words

    This week’s video is an anonymous talk from August 1953, Curious Masonic Words looks at some of the strange terms used in our ceremonials and identifies their origin, meaning and provenance. The talk is clearly American, but my copy has no authorial attribution beyond the date.

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  • Masonic Timeline – The Craft Degrees

    A new Video! This video is a recreation of a presentation I gave on 1 June 2021 at Halcyon Lodge No. 492 UGLQ. Expanding on the Masonic Timeline published a few weeks ago, this presentation examines the historical events referenced in our rituals of the first, second and third degrees.

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  • Why Symbolism?

    Why Symbolism?

    A new Video! This week’s presentation, Why Symbolism?, is taken from the book “The Old Past Master” by Charles H. Claudy which was first published in 1924. It takes the form of a conversation between a new Mason and an ‘old past master’, who shares his wisdom by explaining why Freemasonry is so concerned with…

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